After finishing the 2013-14 regular season with a 40-42 record and missing the NBA Playoffs again this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are heading to the NBA Draft Lottery next week in New York City.

When Milt Newton was finishing up his graduate studies at Kansas, he told anyone that would listen that his goal was to one day become an NBA general manager. It took him 22 years to get there, but Newton has finally arrived. That the opportunity is coming in the place where his wife grew up and under the man he befriended while they worked together in Washington made it worth the wait.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have hired former Washington Wizards executive Milt Newton as general manager. The Timberwolves announced the hiring Friday. Newton spent the previous 10 years with the Wizards, most recently serving as vice president of player personnel. He worked with current Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders when Saunders coached the Wizards. Saunders will continue to have final say on all organizational issues with the Wolves. But Newton will help with scouting, salary cap management and other personnel issues.